The number of asylum seekers coming to the Eastern Cape has increased by ten percent since the height of the xenophobic attacks in May and June, the provincial safety and security department said on Monday.

"Average monthly new asylum seeking applications received are 2000 per month," said the departmental general manager Neil Naidoo.

He said the increase in the number of applications could be because the Eastern Cape was seen as a "safe haven".

"Looking at the province being fairly stable [during the xenophobic attacks], people saw it as a haven," said Naidoo.

"Attacks were minimal in the Eastern Cape compared to South Africa as a whole."

Naidoo also said the increase could be because the province apparently was able to process applications quicker than other provinces.

Since the outbreak of xenophobic attacks, the province had experienced a steady influx of asylum seekers from other provinces such as the Western Cape and Kwazulu-Natal.

Naidoo said that it was only after xenophobia had peaked in other parts of the country that the Eastern Cape experienced serious xenophobic violence such as murder.

Attacks against foreigners had taken place in Queenstown, Peddie, East London, Mdantsane, Uitenhage, Port Elizabeth, Jeffrey's Bay and Mthatha.

Most were cash robberies.

On Monday, the Eastern Cape safety and security department revealed a number of strategies through which it hoped to counteract xenophobia, including "Goodwill Games" to begin this weekend.

"The purpose of the Goodwill Games is to promote good relations and acceptance through cultural and sporting activities by all people in the province."

The games begin on Saturday in Port Elizabeth before moving into the Chris Hani District and Buffalo City municipality regions.

Naidoo said the department had established various crime-fighting strategies that tried to address xenophobic violence at a community, municipal and local government level.

A public awareness and education programme called "The Refugee Support Programme" had also been adopted.

The programme aimed to educate and workshop around xenophobic issues with various groups including schools, tertiary institutions, public officials, government departments and community and faith-based organisations.

The provincial commissioner was also now co-ordinating all xenophobia-related incidents.

Co-ordinators had also been appointed to each police cluster. These co-ordinators would collect all information needed for the criminal cases opened by foreigners who were victims of xenophobic attacks.

The social development department was also providing counselling and assistance to victims of xenophobia.

Over the last two days a national task teak had visited the Eastern Cape to evaluate what progress was being made to fast track xenophobia-related cases.

A report would soon be given to the deputy justice minister Johnny de Lange in order to develop a fast tracking strategy.

Naidoo said police analysis of the xenophobia-related robberies had shown most foreigners were keeping large amounts of cash in their shops or homes.

This made them "soft targets" for criminals, he said.

Police were now working with banks to try and provide suitable banking facilities and services for foreigners to try and improve the situation.

Naidoo said foreigners were also encouraged to participate in community police forums.

He said the Somali community in the Nelson Mandela Metro and Chris Hani and Buffalo City were already "working well" as part of these kinds of structures.

The provincial safety and security MEC Thobile Mhlahlo had already visited Queenstown where xenophobic attacks had taken place.

In early December, he would be visiting areas affected by xenophobic violence including Port St Johns, Port Elizabeth and Mdantsane.

Naidoo said the department believed foreigners had a right to a safe and secure environment and full integration into communities, "We will defeat the monster of xenophobic attacks which is so foreign in our society and against the principles of Ubuntu," he said.

Sapa